Panama has insisted that its sovereignty over the Panama Canal is “non-negotiable” after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out taking it by military force.
Trump said this during a press conference on Tuesday where he also falsely claimed that the Panama Canal was being operated by Chinese soldiers.
Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha responded by saying that “the only hands that govern the canal are Panamanian and will remain so.”
The Panama Canal was operated by the US for decades, but under a treaty signed by the late US President Jimmy Carter in 1977, it was handed over to the Panamanians on December 31, 1999.
At his news conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump described President Carter’s decision to restore the channel as a “big mistake.”
He too expressed renewed interest in buying the Arctic island of Greenland – which is a self-governing territory of Denmark – as well as the Panama Canal.
When asked by reporters if he would rule out the use of military or economic force to conquer Greenland and the Panama Canal, he said: “No, I can’t convince you of either.”
Panama’s foreign minister denied that his country had received any offer from the president-elect.
“Trump’s comments today, that he was talking about a certain amount of money, are not true. No offer has been received, let’s be clear,” Martínez-Acha said.
He added that “the sovereignty of our channel is non-negotiable and is part of our history of struggle and irreversible conquest”.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has not yet directly reacted to Trump’s latest statements.
But at a colorful ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the handover of the Panama Canal on December 31, he told those present to “be assured that it will remain under our control forever.”
President Mulino has in the past seemed outraged by Trump’s claims that the canal is under some sort of Chinese influence, saying “there are no Chinese soldiers in the canal, for God’s sake.”
His government also emphasized that “until January 20, the American government will be led by Joe Biden. From January 20, we will deal with Mr. Trump and his government.”
“Panama wants to cooperate and maintain excellent relations with different governments.”
